Eleutheroi (Getia)
Komatai (Dacian Skirmishers) The Komatai, also called ‘daoi’ or ’wolves,’ make up the bulk of the tribal forces of the Getai. Untamed warriors, they are still capable of versatile maneuvers on the battlefield. They fight bare-headed to assure the gods of their fervor and willingness to arrive at their side. The Komatai go to battle wearing studded leather armor, baggy trousers and a large oval shield. They also carry with them javelins and a sica. They are best used as skirmishers for hit-and-run tactics and can be deadly in forests. If forced into melee they can hold their own against other light and even some medium infantry. Historically, the Komatai were the perfect example of the transitional process of the tribal communities to a stately structure. They were free men, still gathering at the tribe’s calling, but the tribe’s calling was increasingly a response to a call from a tribal union or from the Basileus himself. By the middle of the third century BC large unions of tribes had begun to fight for the hegemony in the area from the Karpathes to the Istros. The Komatai made up the vast majority of warriors, while the disparities between the komatai and the noble tarabostes grew to an even greater extent. The Getic warriors were renowned for their zeal in battle—it was rumored that they did not fear death because of their belief in the immortality of their souls. Komatai Sphendonetai (Dacian Slingers) These skirmishers are a valuable addition to any Getic army and can perform superbly in rough terrain. They carry no armor to speak of, except small round shields, and are armed with slings and an akinakes dagger. They are usually very young men and their role is merely to try and force the enemy into acting rashly, even though unarmored troops could pay much more dearly if facing them. Any wise leader should try to keep them away from prolonged melees, even though they will fight back with more vigor than troops of this type are expected. Historically, these slingers had no distinct ability from their counterparts, though they acted more independently on the battlefield and were probably more accustomed to flank attacks than form a loose fore-front as the Greek psiloi. Their numbers were never great, thanks to the popularity of the bow among the Getai. Their akinakes and small shields offered them enough protection not to fear acting as support troops. Drapanai (Dacian Shock Infantry) The Drapanai contingents are made up of resolute warriors, well aware of their role on the battlefield as shock troops. While the average Getic soldier tells himself he is immortal, the Drapanai, more than any others, join battle without fear of death. They fight bare-chested and with only baggy trousers, not for protection but to keep some warmth. Their trademark though is the falx, a vicious blade capable of severing limbs and causing horrible wounds with a single, crushing blow. These warriors are best used as shock troops against enemy infantry. If used properly, they can cut their way through and open a gap in the enemy battle line, allowing other Getic warriors to exploit the opening. Their lack of armor might be a drawback against concentrated enemy missile fire and they should thus not be exposed to enemy ranged infantry needlessly. Historically, a Drapanai soldier is the archetype of the Getic warrior, bare-chested and armed with the falx. The falx weapon was developed from the Thracian rhomphaia and it became a traditional weapon among the Getai. The ones wielding it and who often made up the Drapanai were young vigorous warriors, striving to achieve recognition among their kin and fellow men. The religious aspects should not be overlooked either, as these men formed the frontline and served as shock troops which meant they were more exposed to the enemy, where the Getic religious zeal was of immense importance as these warriors did not fear death, because death was the gateway to their prophet-god Zalmoxis. Their valor is best shown during the Second Dacian War, when the Roman soldiers were issued new types of armor, greaves, modified helmets and especially stronger armguards to protect themselves against the falx, and Roman troops stationed in Dacia, as the Romans called Getia, in the later first century AD were still issued these armguards and armor pieces so not to lose their limbs! Ischyroi Orditon (Elite Dacian Infantry) The Ischyroi Orditon, or "Mighty men of the Ordes," are the elite guard among the Getai. They trace their lineage back to the old capital at Helis, are the pinnacle of the Getic noble infantry. As the nobility of the tribe of the Ordes, they are equipped and supported by the Basileus, and unlike the tarabostes lords in their far-removed hillforts, the warrior lords of the Ordes are loyal retainers--and frequently family members--of the Getic kings. Armed with a long thrusting spear and either a sica or Keltic sword, they can be very effective in close combat with infantry and even cavalry. Protected by an iron Thraikian helm with a large iron crest, imported from Hellas, a large oval shield with a strong iron boss, a coat of mail, and occasionally greaves, they are one of the most heavily armored units in any Getic army. They are an expensive unit to train and maintain, but they are a valuable force on the battlefield, capitalizing on Getic fierceness and borrowed Hellenic and Keltic techniques to stand toe-to-toe with enemy heavy infantry. Historically, after the Galatai destroyed Helis, the surviving population moved north of the Istros and rebuilt their capital at Argedava, now known as Popesti. What had been an insignificant fishing and agricultural settlement quickly became one of the largest in all of the Getic lands. The population at Helis had already been well-acquainted with advanced metallurgy, and traded extensively with Skythians, Kelts, and especially Hellenes. This did not change at Argedava, which--judging from archaeological remains--became the source for the best-equipped and most disciplined Getic soldiers. Tarabostes (Dacian Medium Cavalry) The Tarabostes are mounted war bands comprising warriors, usually veterans, attached to a war chief. They often form the main volunteer force for pillage raids. Being attached to the Getic nobility these warriors often have better equipment than their fellow Getic warriors. They are armored with chain-mail, armguards, greaves and large oval shields. They carry a spear and the sica blade. They are fearsome all-round cavalry, well armored and looking upon war as a class-affair. Their overconfidence, combined with Getic religious beliefs, makes these men prone to charge against tremendous odds as long as their chieftain is alive; thus, they lack the discipline required to any elite cavalry, but their traditional ferocity can always turn the tide of battle if properly timed or by sheer luck. Historically, the tarabostes had a much more independent spirit than any centralized authority would have preferred. Each of the more important tarabostes houses seems to have had its own dava (fortification) and each house maintained rather large forces at their own expense; their troops were experienced and loyal, bound to their leader through a system of privileges and favors. These warbands proved their worth during Burebista's campaigns against the Boii and Taursicii, where they seemed to have had the upper edge over the Celtic cavalry. Still, precisely these forces provided the tarabostes the needed self-confidence when they assassinated Burebista in 44 B.C., upon hearing the news that Caesar no longer threatened the kingdom’s borders. Komatai Pelekuphoroi (Costobocii Axemen) Combat traditions vary across the Getic tribes, and those on the northern and eastern sides of the Karpathoi are an excellent example. The two most powerful tribes of this region, the Karp and the Kostobok, are also among the most powerful of all the Getai. But aside from occasional wars among themselves or against their more settled neighbors to the south, these tribes are hardened by frequent war with both the nomadic Skythians, and the newly arrived Bastarnai, a migrating people ferocious in hand-to-hand combat. The battle-line warriors of the Karp and Kostobok tribes, aside from their large contingents of Drapanai, are the Pelekuphoroi, wielders of bronze axes and sturdy round shields. Even after the arrival of the iron age among their people, their warriors continued to show a preference for bronze axeheads, which, while having neither the weight nor reach of a falx, could still be devastating against armored opponents, and was more readily available among the komatai class. Their scale leather is meant at least as much to protect against Skythian arrows as against Bastarnai spears, and will do little stop a heavy, curved falx blade. These fast, hardy troops are best used in ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, or flanking maneuvers against heavier warriors, but are fierce enough to stand in the battle line if the situation demands it. Getikoi Hippotoxotai (Dacian Horse-Archers) The Getai horse archers have a long and proud tradition, having developed superb skills in confrontations with the Skythai and Sauromatai. These Getai "who believe they are immortals" were the only tribes of the Thraikians whose horsemen confronted Dareios in his expedition against the Skythai in 514 BC, and for their "recklessness they were immediately subdued and forced to follow the huge Persai army, even though they are the bravest and most righteous of all Thraikes", as Herodotos notes. Their task is to kill, wound, disrupt, or simply reduce the morale of enemy infantry with endless showers of arrows, but they have problems like all horse archers in wet or damp weather. Their Skythian akinakes, a type of straight sword commonly used south of the Istros, and their fast horses enable them to make swift thrusts into the enemy flanks. However, one should never engage them in prolonged close quarters battle. Historically, the Getic horsemen won the admiration of the Hellenes when they decided to engage Dareios in Mikra Skythia; and they must have won the admiration of Dareios, as after their eventual defeat, they were pressed into service within the Persian army. Their numbers were large; Thoukydides notes, referring to the great army of supposedly 150,000 men, a third of it cavalry, recruited by the Odrysian king Sitalkes: "the largest part of the cavalry was provided by the Getai." Regarding their weapons, the composite bow transformed them into efficient killers while their horses kept them out of harm's way. These Getai warriors are not drawn from every Getic tribe, but from the tribes living in the Danube-delta area or from the Agathyrsoi living inside the arch of the Karpathes. The Hellenes called all men living in modern-day Romania & northern Bulgaria for Getai after this tribe, while the Romans called them Dacians, which is the norm today. In earlier Greek history texts, Getai was used to describe just the one tribe, not the other tribes as well, which the term encompassed later on, when the tribes in the Carpatho-Danubian area became more organized and united. Druhtiz Bastarnisku (Bastarnae Shock Infantry) The Druhtiz Bastarnisku ("Bastarnae Warband") is a druhtiz (warband) comprised of fierce and resolute warriors, well aware of their role on the battlefield as shock troops. The falx is an intimidating weapon, especially in the hands of these experienced warriors. These men can hack a hole in almost any enemy battle line. They are the essential shock troops of any Germanic army. Historically, the Bastarnoz (Bastarnae), whose name means "Ones who use bast" in their own language, originally began as a Germanic tribe and traveled far east, settling in lands near the numerous tribes of the Getai, where they mixed and adapted to the various peoples of the Black Sea steppe. Quickly, they earned fame for their capabilities in battle and were often enlisted as mercenaries. They fought for Perseus in his campaign against Rome and were involved in the battles of the Makedonians. Category:Eleutheroi